Comic Book Industry Events & Awards

The so-called "Prime Movers" (Dr. Doom, Magneto, Kingpin, Wizard, Mandarin, and Red Skull) were originally tricked into thinking that the Acts of Vengeance were each individual's idea by Loki who posed as an unassuming man in a white suit and played at being their personal assistant/lackey, making each believe they were really in charge. The idea was that after years of being constantly beaten...

Also known as Earth-295
The Titles
Twilight of the Age of the Apocalypse
The beginning of the end came when the X-Men discovered Bishop, the only person on earth who remembered the way reality should have been. After learning of the existence of this alternate reality (backed up by Magneto's own memories of Xavier's death), the X-Men embarked on a quest to stop Apocalypse once and for all...

Set in an apocalyptic future, Ultron has returned to earth, and ruined it, using his superior technology to enslave the mankind. Certain villains do as Ultron commands and get higher privileges but at the end of the day Ultron rules. Most of the heroes live underground whilst thinking of a way to rid the world of Ultron. Amongst these heroes are Captain America, Luke Cage, Iron Man, and Emma...

In a strange reality where the X-Men never came to be, the war between humans and mutants has escalated to a level never before seen. What has become of our heroes and who will survive as the final war commences?

"The Ages of Apocalypse" is a series of sub-chapters to Marvel Comics' "The Twelve" saga, wherein En Sabah Nur finds himself trapped in the body of Scott Summers (Cyclops of X-Men) after a failed attempt to possess Nate Grey. Using his newfound powers, Apocalypse warps reality several times, trying to get the Twelve to feed him more and more power. "The Ages of Apocalypse" arc is mainly an...

Amalgam was a collaboration between Marvel Comics and DC Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters to create new ones (e.g., DC Comics' Batman and Marvel's Wolverine became the Amalgam character Dark Claw). These characters first appeared in a series of twelve comic books which were published in 1996, between issues 3 and 4 of the Marvel vs. DC miniseries. A second...

Prologue
When an extraterrestrial prison ship called Dredge 01 crash landed on Earth near Coot's Bluff, Alaska. Paibok The Power Skrull, the Blood Brothers, Lunatik, and Drax The Destroyer were unleashed upon the Earth. Realizing they were on Earth, a world known to have countless superhumans, the escaped prisoners begin preparations for a hasty escape off-world.
The dimwitted Drax opposes...

The Phalanx have a new leader in the killer robot Ultron, and he's looking for nothing less than univesal conquest! They've already taken the Kree and assimilated heroes like Ronan and Drax; can a rag tag group including Star-Lord, Quasar, Wraith and the reborn Adam Warlock stop them?

Ghuar, Llyra, and Attuma join forces to launch an attack on the surface world in a bid for global domination using the armies of Atlantis and Lemuria.
Marvel crossover running through the annuals from Summer 1989:
Part 1: Silver Surfer Annual #2
Part 2: Iron Man Annual #10
Part 3: X-Men Annual'' #13
Part 4: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #23
Part 5: Punisher Annual #2
Part...

The world of the Avengers is rocked to its foundation in this cross-over event, leaving the Earth's Mightiest Heroes broken and changing their lives forever.
Overview
When Wasp began a romantic relationship with Hawkeye, she would constantly talk to Scarlet Witch about it. While lounging around the swimming pool Wasp (who was tipsy off of a few drinks at this point) began to talk about...

The Phoenix Force is returning to Earth to claim its host, Hope Summers. The Avengers have traveled to Utopia to take Hope into protective custody so that the Phoenix Force does not bond with her. The X-Men have a different outcome in mind. They believe that Hope, bonded with the Phoenix Force, will benefit mutantkind. A clash ensues that will pit hero against hero as the Phoenix Force...

Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham to find that his replacement, Jean Paul Valley, has become increasingly violent and reckless. He must return to as Batman and defeat Valley in order to win back the mantle of the Bat.

After a devastating earthquake, Gotham is declared a disaster zone and closed to the outside world.
Plot Summary
Gotham City had suffered the results of a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in the earlier "Cataclysm" storyline. Previous disasters, such as two separate plague outbreaks, caused many to want to write off Gotham completely. The U.S. Government gave a timeline. At the end, all bridges...

Battle for the Cowl begins with total chaos in Gotham City. Batman's been missing, and the streets are on fire. Many heroes rush to fill the void, but who will ultimately wear the mantle of the Bat? Written and illustrated by Tony Daniel, Battle for the Cowl is a no-holds-barred fight to the finish with impossibly high stakes for the participants. In the wake of this series comes a selection of...

The presence of the original X-Men in the modern day has drawn mutants from the future back in time for a clash that will determine the fate of their race! With the timestream unraveling and civil war on the horizon, this 10-issue event features the talents of Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Brian Wood, Frank Cho and many more!
September 2013
Part 1: X-Men Battle of the Atom #1
Part 2:...

There was a prophecy that spoke of the Blackest Night, when the universe would fall into darkness. The Oans, Guardians of the Universe his this prophecy, it was denied, forbidden to be mentioned.
Checklist
July
Green Lantern #43 - Prologue
Blackest Night #1
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #1
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #2
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #2
Green...

Once dead, 12 heroes and villains were resurrected by a white light expelled deep from within the center of the Earth. Deemed a miracle by many and a sign of the apocalypse by others, the reasons behind their rebirths remain a mystery. But it will not be a mystery for long.

In the United States, a Super-human Registration Act is passed, which decrees that all Mutants or Super-Humans must register with the government, giving all personal information, as well as powers.
Whose Side Are You On?
Overview of Key events of the civil war. Note: Since the Civil War arc is so massive in its scope, some of the information included here will be from comics leading up...

Premise: The destruction of the DC Universe!
This crossover was billed to literally feature every character in the DC Universe at least once!
The Anti-Monitor sought to destroy all other universes, therefore gaining control of the entire universe.
Only 5 Earths remained, Earth-1, Earth-2, Earth-S, ?? and ??. in a stable condition.
It was revealed that the Oan, Krona had...

The Invasion may be over, but the Dark Reign has just begun! As the dust settles and the heroes recuperate, a new power shall rise from the ashes—its name is Norman Osborn! Spinning out of Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn has gathered his secret cabal of villains and now he's in control!

The story starts as a green-clothed fist beats its way out of an underground chamber. Once the monster is above ground, it instantly starts to destroy, crushing a bird in its hand and snapping the neck of a deer.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Superman and Lois are fighting the Underworldere.
As the creature continues its rampage, the Justice League International American branch gets word and...

He crippled Batgirl. He killed Robin. What will The Joker do next? And what must Batman do to protect his secret identity and that of those who fight alongside him?
One of the most notorious villains in comic book history is making his return in the DC Comics New 52. The Joker will come out of the dark in a horrifying, unnerving, and huge way. And the grave consequences of his reemergence...

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the Comics Industry's equivalent of the Oscar Awards. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the discontinuation of the Kirby Awards after 1987. They are named in honor of the pioneering writer...

"The Evolutionary War" was a comic book crossover which ran through most of the Summer annuals published by Marvel Comics in 1988.
The storyline was the first of its kind. While there had been previous extended crossovers over multiple titles before it, "The Evolutionary War" was the first to take place exclusively in annuals. This format of crossover was to be repeated by Marvel a year...

With the Hulk family growing exponentially over the past year, it was only a matter of time before things came to a smashing head. But what could set all of these characters into a rage that has them turning on each other, and on the world? Whose death starts this? Just what role do Skaar, A-Bomb, the She-Hulks and the Marvel Universe play in this story?

This cross-over featured three ongoing x-titles, X-Men, X-Factor, and the New Mutants.
X-Men.
Storm was depowered, she was also the Leader of the X-Men at this time. She was on a mission to find Forge a mutant inventor whom she hope could find a way to restore her former power.
This led the rest of the X-Men on a journey after her, the ended up crossing paths with Freedom Force, in...

Now that she has the Hammer of Skadi (The God of Fear) and is deemed worthy, Sin releases a long dormant being, her new master. This being calls himself the true All-Father or just the Serpent. As he spreads his power throughout Earth, the Asgardians retreat back to Asgard leaving the heroes of Earth to fend for themselves while the fear generated by the general human populace helps to power...

History
When the Source initiated the demise of the Fourth World and the Death of the New Gods, it did so on one mistaken assumption: that extinction would end the animosity between the New Gods of Apokolips and New Genesis. The New Gods resumed their war in heaven, a war that ultimately ended when the forces of evil gained control of the Anti-Life Equation which can destroy free will. With...

The story begins as a young alien woman named Dusk arrives on Earth to warn the population that a giant extraterrestrial being, known as the Sun-Eater, is heading our way. Dusk is a member of an unknown alien race, and does not speak or understand a word of English, so Saturn Girl uses her telepathic powers to translate for her. Dusk has attempted to warn hundreds of worlds, prior to Earth,...

Spinning out of the events of Trinity War, the Crime Syndicate from Earth 3 has invaded, claiming victory over the Justice League and Justice League of America. With the creation of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, evil was left unchecked and organized. While some villains were eager to join the society, others - such as the Rogues - were not.
Having declared the defeat of the Justice...

Carter Hall, also known as Hawkman has been inching closer to discovering the answers about who he really is and why he is being hunted. But with deadly assassins and powerful villains at his throat, he may never learn the truth behind his past.

Sue Dibny, wife of the Elongated Man, is murdered, her body horribly burned. The super-hero community rallies to find the murderer.
Early suspicion rests on Doctor Light, as it is revealed that he had raped Sue Dibny years earlier in the Justice League satellite headquarters. It is also revealed that the Atom, Black Canary, Hawkman, Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), and Green...

When the young mutant hero Magik became ruler of the dimension of Limbo, one of its demon-sorcerers, N'astirh, began to covet the idea of not only controlling Limbo, but of become master of Earth as well.
He gathered demonic agents in defiance of Limboâ€™s new ruler, Sâ€™ym, and finally launched his grand scheme. N'astirh orchestrated a kidnapping of 13 babies of Earth in hopes to sacrifice them...

Infinite Crisis is a 2005-2006 crossover event written by Geoff Johns with illustrations by Phil Jimenez, George Perez, Ivan Reis and Jerry Ordway. The story is told through an eponymous seven issue mini-series although tie-ins span the entire DC Universe. There were four lead-in mini-series' published as part of the Countdown to Infinite Crisis including Day of Vengeance, The OMAC Project,...

Written by Jonathan Hickman and art by Jim Cheung, Infinity is a six part event beginning in August 2013. A preview issue was released for Free Comic Book Day 2013.
The series will center on the Avengers team heading out in to the galaxy to unite the major species of the galaxy the Kree, the Shi'ar, the Skrulls as well as many other species uniting them against the Builders. The Avengers...

The Infinity Gauntlet is a six issue miniseries written by Jim Starlin, penciled by George Perez and inked by Ron Lim published in 1991.
Mistress Death is upset that the balance between life and death has recently not been in her favor. Her solution is to give her ardent follower, Thanos, a chance at rebirth setting him forth with a mission of killing half the life in the universe. Despite...

X-Force is forced to travel to a grim future to protect and retrieve Hope Summers, the mutant messiah. They must battle Stryfe and his minions while simultaneously warding off Bishop's continued attempts on Hope's life.

Cletus Kasady is back to doing what he does best: killing. However, he seems to be dancing to someone else's directions this time. The story that will bring together Carnage, Venom, and the Scarlet Spider at last!

A crossover spawning out of the pages of Scott Snyder's Batman, where the Court of Owls attacks Gotham City aiming to assassinate numerous key figures within the city, forcing all of Gotham's heroes to defend the city from the Court's attacks.
Batman (vol. 2) #1-7 serve as prequel issues.

When Hulk was jettisoned away from Earth on a S.H.I.E.L.D. commissioned space ship, his intended landing place was a lush green planet devoid of any intelligent lifeforms. Unfortunately, the ship was sucked into a wormhole, and Hulk found himself on a planet where a corrupt empire oppressed barbarian tribes. Because the planet, Planet Sakaar, was situated so near the wormhole, there was a wide...

Rise of the Midnight Sons was a crossover story line published by Marvel Comics from August to November of 1992. Anchored between two issues of Ghost Rider (Volume 2), it focused on Marvel's horror comics line. "Rise of the Midnight Sons" launched not only the Midnight Sons publishing imprint, but also five brand new ongoing titles, Darkhold, Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance, Morbius:...

There are three forces in this world: The Green, The Red, and The Rot. Each of these balanced forces have an avatar: Swamp Thing for the Green, Animal Man for the Red, and now, the evil Anton Arcane has become the avatar for the Rot.
Arcane wants more power for the Rot, so he is trying to upset the balance on Earth by battling against the Green and Red. Animal Man and Swamp Thing have tried...

Matt Murdock dared evil ... and lost! The battle for the soul of a hero begins! Pushed beyond his limits, Daredevil faces off for a final time against his deadliest foe--Bullseye--in their most brutal battle ever with more than just Hell's Kitchen is at stake. Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Punisher and more join forces to stop a war that is breaking out throughout New York, with Daredevil ...

Shattered Heroes First Teaser Image Quote
"While the victory is won, the aftermath of it will set each of our heroes reeling." - Tom Brevoort, Marvel SVP/Executive Editor
Marvel.com Event Intro
Welcome to Shattered Heroes, a bold new beginning featuring the Avengers, The Hulk, the Defenders and more as they carve out new roles in the Marvel Universe. Prepare for new teams, new heroes and...

Through a sinister plot by the Jackal, heroes, villains and ordinary people across Manhattan gain spider abilities. Not all realize that with great power comes great responsibility! Can Spider-Man keep the peace?

Perhaps one of the greatest unfinished stories of all time, John Byrne and Terry Austin's "The Last Galactus Story" has the Devourer and his herald Nova following a trail of dying galaxies towards the center of the Universe. But upon reaching their destination they find that they have been lured into a trap set up by the one being in all of Creation Galactus thought he would never see again:...

When a US Navy missile drill goes wrong for unknown reasons, sending multiple missiles into the ocean, striking Atlantis, their king Ocean Master takes it as a declaration of war, and initiates ocean to surface war tactics that both he and his brother, Aquaman wrote up years ago. Atlantis sends giant title waves through many costal cities including Gotham City, Metropolis and Boston, planning...

Trinity War is a major crossover event in the New 52 surrounding the Trinity of Sin. It stars the Justice League, Justice League of America, Justice League Dark against the Secret Society of Super-Villains and the Crime Syndicate.
Summary
Madame Xanadu, who can see the future, has a vision of a conflict that will end with disaster. She shouts that she knows what "Trinity" is, and that they...

Exploding from the pages of Planet Hulk, the blockbuster event World War Hulk features the Hulk's destructive and vengeful return to Earth.
Deemed too dangerous to remain on Earth by the secret super hero group the Illuminati, the Hulk was exiled and sent to an uninhabited planet. His ship traveling off-course, Hulk landed on Sakaar, a planet consumed and divided by violence. The Hulk soon...

World War Hulks is a crossover storyline following the Fall of the Hulks storyline.
The plot builds on the depowering of Bruce Banner by Red Hulk during the Dark Reign storyline and the betrayal of Doc Samson who joined with the Intelligencia to bring about the Fall of the Hulks to create an army of Hulks to take over the world. World War Hulks also shows the origins of Red Hulk and Red...

The X-Cutioner's Song is a crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics' in twelve parts from the November 1992 to early 1993. It involved the X-Men (Volume 2), the Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force.
The major long-term result of X-Cutioner's Song was the Legacy Virus. Stryfe had earlier given Mister Sinister a canister that he claimed contained two thousand years worth of genetic...